Plan of Attack
by Trainmaster64
Summary: Rosie tries her best to avoid being purchased by the army for their new shunting operations. 5/5


Everything was dark, black… she could not see anything. It was so cold and lonely here. For a while, she considered possibly leaving this place, moving back to the warmth and sunshine of the outside world. It was just so dark and cold here.

Then, she remembered why she was here. It was the perfect hiding place, after all – no one would ever find her here. No one would ever know where she was… she hoped. She simply hoped with all of her heart that she would not be found. The consequences would be severe… and she did not want to suffer them. She would NOT go back… it was better for everyone this way.

"I won't let them take me away," she said to herself. "I won't let them send me back. I won't go back… I hope." Trembling, she began to weep silently. "I hope this works… I really hope this works…"

Suddenly, there was a rumbling from outside. The doors of the shed were opened, and she found herself staring at Henry's very surprised face. He was not supposed to be there… it was Thomas who was supposed to bring her home… everything had gone wrong.

"Rosie! What on earth are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at Ffarquhar?" Henry asked; he didn't know Rosie that well but he knew she was not supposed to be here, apparently hiding in an old goods shed at Tidmouth. "What's wrong?"

Rosie blinked away her tears, but was horrified to discover that new ones were quickly taking their place, and growing in number each time she blinked. Henry was shocked as Rosie silently wept in front of him, quivering as she stood. He had no idea why Rosie was so distraught, but was keen on finding out – carefully, he moved forwards to her.

"Rosie, I'm going to bring you to Tidmouth Sheds, all right?"

"No!" Rosie wailed, surprising Henry still further. "I won't go back, I won't! I won't go with them!"

"Rosie! I'm just going to bring you to Tidmouth Sheds!" Henry said, worried about her.

"No! If the Fat Controller finds me… p-please, Henry, don't take me there. Leave me alone. Please," Rosie begged Henry. Her eyes were sparkling with tears and fears, which unnerved Henry greatly. "D-Don't tell anyone where I am. Please."

"Are you sure there's nothing I can do?" Henry asked. "I don't want to leave you like this."

Rosie trembled, upset. "Hide me. Keep me safe. Tell Thomas, but don't let the Fat Controller know – and don't tell the G-General," she added, going pale despite her redness. "They can't find me, Henry."

"We'll hide you, Rosie. Don't worry. I'll leave you alone for now," Henry said, as he carefully backed away from the shed. The doors were closed, and Rosie silently wept – it was too much to bear.

* * *

><p>Rosie was talking to the engines at Tidmouth Sheds. She was trying to be quiet and discreet – she did not want the Fat Controller to come and see her. Henry had moved her to the sheds, and was allowing her to tell her story to the other engines before he hid her in a more secure location. Every engine was listening to her tell her tale.<p>

Emily, Molly, and Belle (who was visiting) were all crying as Rosie spoke. They could not believe that Rosie had had to suffer as she did. Emily and Molly had been through wars, but never like Rosie had. To hear of such trauma and conflict in the past was utterly horrific; they could not imagine how Rosie felt. They were utterly horrified.

Belle was particularly moved – she had never been involved in war, being built after the conflict had ended, but she was a victim of abuse. It was clear that she understood what Rosie had gone through, and was incredibly sympathetic. For a while, Belle had simply held Rosie, allowing her to cry and whispering comfort to her while shedding a few tears of her own. It was a very powerful moment for everyone.

The male engines were more vocal about their thoughts on the subject.

"Disgraceful!"

"Disgusting!"

"Despicable!"

"Unbelievable!"

"How could they do that to our poor Rosie? I cannot believe it!"

Hiro was unique in his viewpoint. "I think," he said carefully, "that Rosie was very brave in what she did. There were many who were lost during that time… we must all remember them, and respect what they gave for us. We must respect the army for what they did for us."

"What about Rosie?" Emily asked angrily. "They treated her horribly!"

"The army did what they had to in order to save lives!" Hiro retorted, trying to remain calm. "I never said that what they had done was right or wrong. They defended freedom and peace, and we must respect them for that."

"Y-you're right, Hiro," Rosie whispered, and all the other engines fell silent; none of them had expected Rosie to agree like this. "They saved lives. We should be grateful to them for what they did. It's just… I wish we didn't have to do this. I just want the fighting to stop. I don't want there to be an army anymore – we shouldn't fight. It's just so wrong…"

"You are right, Rosie. But the army does a good job at keeping us safe."

"At the expense of its engines and men!" Emily retorted. "They had NO right to treat Rosie like that; you know that!"

"I agree," Hiro said sadly. "They should not have treated you like that. They should not try to coerce you into rejoining if you do not wish to. They should respect your wishes."

"They did, when I declined after the Big One," Rosie sighed. "They asked me if I wanted to come back to them, and I said no – I went to the South Coast and worked there until I came here. This new army, though… it seems like he won't stop to get me to join them."

"Surely he wouldn't try to force you to go?" James spluttered. "The Fat Controller would never allow it!"

"He might if he were paid enough," Rosie sighed, tears welling in her eyes again. "Where will I… what will I…"

"You'll stay at the Search and Rescue Centre with me and Flynn," Belle puffed. "If it comes to it, we'll make sure you join us rather than them. We won't send you off with them if you don't want to go – it's your decision. They won't force you away."

"Thank you, Belle," Rosie whispered, trembling as Belle held her close. "You're such a good friend…"

"I know what it's like to be forced to do things," Belle murmured, feeling herself begin to tear up. "I know what it's like to be controlled… to have others force you to give up your innocence… I won't let it happen to you. I won't let them do that to you."

For a while, Belle simply held Rosie close to her, both engines silently crying into each other as they remembered the ghosts of their pasts. Belle kept Rosie close, whispering comfort and kind words to her. Not once did she let her think that she would be alone – she would see to it that Rosie would not be alone again. It was a while before Belle finally took Rosie to the Search and Rescue Centre, moving quickly so they would not be seen.

* * *

><p>Rosie was sleeping at the Search and Rescue Centre. Flynn had been more than welcoming of her when Belle had returned from Tidmouth with her in tow, and had invited her to stay with them for the night. The three of them gathered in the big shed, resting quietly. It was not long before Flynn and Belle had fallen asleep as well; they had both had very busy days.<p>

Suddenly, there was a noise outside. Rosie groggily opened her eyes, wondering what had made such a sound and why it had happened so late at night.

Her question was soon answered, as she stared into the face of the General, leering at her with triumph in his face. "We've found you at last, then. You will be ours, and you will not THINK of deserting us again."

"Non! Non! Je n'irai pas! Ne me prenez pas loin! Belle! Flynn! Quelqu'un me sauver!" Rosie screamed in French, terrified of what was happening – she was found, Belle and Flynn were nowhere to be seen, and she would be going back to the army, forced to fight and kill… "S'il vous plaît, tuez-moi! Tuez-moi, et épargnez-moi de tuer pour vous revoir!"

"Vous ne serez pas tuer quelqu'un, mais vous servira pour nous." The General also spoke in French, unwilling to let Rosie escape from him. "You will not kill anymore, but you will serve your nation. You will shunt for us, and you will make us more efficient."

"At killing?" Rosie asked bitterly. "I respect what you do, and I respect how you fight for our freedoms. I don't respect how you have to kill in order to get those freedoms. My respect goes to my family and friends, who were lost during that time! I have no respect for you! I won't go with you and lose more! Just kill me now, and be done with it!" Rosie cried, filled with emotion and intensity.

The General glared at Rosie. "Insolence… you will join us again, engine. You will help us and serve your nation."

"I serve my nation by working on the branch line," Rosie snarled. "That's enough for me. Can't you just respect that? I respect what you do, but I JUST DON'T WANT TO FIGHT ANYMORE!"

"You will rejoin us, engine – you must serve in a greater capacity!"

"I HAVE A NAME!" screamed Rosie, shaking with anger and fear in one. "I HAVE A NAME! I AM ROSIE! I AM NOT ENGINE! I AM ROSIE! ROSIE! I AM ROSIE, AND I WORK ON SODOR!"

"Stop. You are acting immaturely," said the General quietly, utterly disdainful of Rosie's behaviour. "Stop crying – it's a sign of weakness."

"It's a sign that I'm more than just a killing machine," Rosie whispered with fury. "Perhaps you ought to try it sometime."

The General glared at Rosie. "You think I'm a monster, do you? You think I have no emotion? I fought in the war… France… I watched my battalion fall around me… I barely made it out alive… and you dare to criticise me? Emotions are for the weak," he snapped, "and I can't afford to be weak. In this profession, none of us can afford that luxury. We must be strong and fight, so stuck-up girls like you can have a better tomorrow."

"I didn't say I don't appreciate what you do," Rosie said bitterly. "I have respect for what you do. I know what you go through – I have too. I lost most of my family from that time… the m-memories hurt, don't they? It hurts so much to remember them, and how they d-died…" Rosie was trying not to cry, but failing. "We respect them for what they did and gave for us."

"We do indeed," the General said sadly, "we do indeed."

"I just don't want to go back into the army. I don't want to fight all the time. I just want to work in peace. Please, respect my wishes. Let me work in peace. I don't want to leave my home, my friends, my love… I just want to help them here." Rosie was trembling as she wept, afraid and upset. The General could not get her to speak another word, only receiving a heart-wrenching sob in response. She could not hear or see him leave the yards, only stopping for a moment when she heard a familiar whistle.

"… T-Thomas? THOMAS?" Rosie could not believe it – it couldn't be… she had heard about what had happened with him and the Fat Controller… she knew what he had planned to do… it simply couldn't be…

It wasn't Thomas at all. It was Belle, who was whistling as she puffed back to the Search and Rescue Centre, with Flynn following close behind. They had seen the large army diesel coming from their home, and had immediately feared the worst – they had found Rosie.

"Rosie! Rosie, oh Rosie! We're coming!" cried Belle frantically, racing up the line to her friend. As she drew into the Search and Rescue Centre, she saw Rosie's face filled with tears of grief and anguish – her fears had come true after all. They had indeed found her, and judging from her expression things had definitely NOT gone well at all.

"Rosie!" cried Flynn, as he rolled in behind Belle, panting slightly from the effort. "We were so worried! We're so, so sorry… we didn't think they would come HERE, of all places…"

Belle had tears in her eyes as she saw her distraught friend in front of her. "Oh, Rosie, I'm so sorry. We just left for a few minutes, to go see Thomas for you… we wanted to let him know where you'd gone to… and then… then… oh, Rosie, we're so sorry," Belle gasped, weeping for the mistake that had cost them all dearly.

"B-Belle… hold me… please…" Rosie whimpered, trembling from the recent events that had transpired.

Belle moved forward, holding Rosie as close to her as she could. Rosie trembled as she cried into her friend's embrace, unashamed to let her emotions shine through. She simply needed to be held, to know that she was not alone in her pain, that there was someone there for her. Rosie wept, trembling as Belle whispered to her.

"… B-Belle… Flynn… I w-want to go… home…"

"We'll take you back to Ffarquhar first thing tomorrow," Flynn said, but Belle glared at him. "Er, I mean, we… won't? Belle?"

"We won't let her go," Belle huffed crossly, "because the army and the Fat Controller will be waiting for her. They'll send her away to the army!"

"B-Belle… I want to go home. I think there's a way to fix all this…" Rosie puffed, becoming braver and more determined by the second. "I know what needs to be d-done. Please?"

Belle sighed. "All right, Rosie. We'll take you back to Ffarquhar – tomorrow. For now, you need some sleep – and we will NOT be leaving you alone again. We… we're so sorry, Rosie…"

"I know," Rosie murmured, drifting into a weary sleep. "It's not your fault… I'll fix this… tomorrow…"

* * *

><p>Rosie opened her eyes to find herself sitting in her shed at Ffarquhar. For a moment, she wondered how she had gotten there, and how she had even woken up from her sleep. It had been a strange dream… filled with such awful memories… but her brothers had helped her through… and then Thomas had kissed her so sweetly…<p>

As she got used to the light, Rosie saw that part of her dream had come true: Thomas was standing close to her, gently smiling at her and wordlessly letting her know that everything was fine. She could guess that he had kissed her as she slept, helping her to have such a pleasant end to her night's sleep.

"… Thomas… h-how did I… you…"

"Belle dropped you off this morning," Thomas murmured to her. "She's a really good friend – she didn't let anyone know except for me."

"She is a good friend, Thomas… but you're my best friend. I love you, Thomas…" Rosie moved forwards slightly, and kissed Thomas' lips gently and delicately. "… oh, Thomas, I missed this. I missed you."

"The Fat Controller took me off work here," Thomas puffed quietly. "He might take away my branch line… but I don't care," he added, looking at Rosie's stricken face. "All I want is for you to be safe here."

"Thomas," Rosie moaned, "you can't give up everything just for me."

"Of course I can, Rosie. I love you – I'd do anything to keep you safe here."

Rosie kissed Thomas, trembling as her eyes filled with tears once again. Thomas let Rosie kiss his cheeks, his brow, everywhere she could reach. Her tears sprinkled across his face as she kissed him powerfully, slipping her tongue inside of his mouth and intertwining them in a dance of love and passion. At that moment, nothing mattered except Thomas.

"ROSIE!"

Rosie broke off, gasping in horror. The Fat Controller was striding up to the sheds, looking very upset. He had found her… but Rosie was ready for this. She knew what she had to do.

Unfortunately, Thomas didn't. He let off steam loudly, in an attempt to protect Rosie; the Fat Controller's top hat blew away and was lost. The Fat Controller was fuming.

"Sir!" cried Rosie, in an effort to distract him from unleashing his rage upon Thomas again. "Sir, it's me you want to talk to, not Thomas. You want to sell me."

The Fat Controller turned to Rosie, a look of surprise upon his face. "Sell you, Rosie? Whatever gave you that idea?"

"Thomas overheard you talking to the General, sir. He offered you money for me. He wanted to take me back to the army…" Rosie said, ignoring Thomas' horrified expression. "We know that he wanted me, and he offered you a lot of money. You were considering selling me to them, sir. But you don't know how I feel about it, sir. Would you like to, or would you like to sell me off right now?"

The Fat Controller regained his composure. "Of course I would like to hear your thoughts, Rosie. This concerns you, after all."

"Please, don't send me back to them, sir. I don't want to fight – I only want to be useful here on the branch line. I don't want to leave my friends behind… I don't want to lose my Thomas… and he doesn't want to lose me. That's why he did what he did, sir… don't be angry with him. Be angry with me. I'm the one who caused all of this." Rosie was trembling as she spoke, not caring that the Fat Controller was stunned into silence.

"Rosie, why would you think I would sell you to the army? You are a really useful engine, and a member of my railway. I can't let you go – you're vital and essential. I told the General as much after I spoke to Thomas."

Both engines were floored. The Fat Controller had refused the offer. Rosie was not going to leave them after all. Everything was to carry on as normal. Thomas and Rosie were stunned, standing silent and still.

"The General came to see me this morning," the Fat Controller went on. "He apparently spoke to you this morning, Rosie – I know Belle and Flynn were hiding you at the Search and Rescue Centre. While I can't say I approve of their actions I must say that they're very loyal to you… as is Thomas."

"I know, sir," Rosie whispered, still in a state of shock.

"Then why would you think I would sell you to the army, Rosie?"

"I was scared, sir… I didn't want to fight anymore… I just want to work here in peace. I respect the army, but I… I… I'm not going away?" Rosie squeaked, tears threatening to spill over.

"No, Rosie, you aren't. I would never send an engine away if they didn't want to go or didn't deserve it. You don't have to go to the army if you don't want to. I decided to cancel the offer this morning – but the General was already willing to cancel. It would seem that you convinced him before you convinced me…"

Rosie was shocked. The General had listened to her, and had allowed it? She could not believe it – the General had actually given up on buying her. He had listened to her and understood her position – Rosie was stunned still further.

"We have agreed that your desires should be accepted… as an, ahem, veteran, you should be respected much more than you have been as of late. The General passes on his apologies on behalf of his entire unit for not giving you this respect beforehand. I'm sure the other engines will do the same."

"Thank you, sir," Rosie said softly, "but I'd much rather just let it go. It was a horrible time in the past, and I'd rather not have to go through it again. I'd rather just be known as Rosie, the really useful engine on my love Thomas' branch line."

"Speaking of Thomas…" The Fat Controller looked at Thomas, who shrunk away; he knew he would be on the receiving end of a great deal of trouble. "Thomas, your behaviour was horrendous. Were your actions not as clear as they are now, you know what would have happened."

"Yes sir," Thomas whimpered. He knew exactly what would have happened; it didn't bear thinking about.

"While I am very disappointed with your actions – you should have come to me and talked to me about your problems; you KNOW that – I cannot fault you for defending your love and friend from what you perceived as a danger to her. I am willing to overlook some of these transgressions, provided this does NOT happen again. Am I clear?"

"Yes sir," Thomas said quickly, "of course, sir. I'll never do it again, sir."

"That's a good engine. You will stay in your shed for the rest of the week, while Rosie will cover your own duties as well as hers – she must continue to be useful for us, and prove I was telling the truth."

"Yes sir," Rosie puffed. "I'll do my very best, sir."

"I know you will. Now, if you'll excuse me…"

The Fat Controller strode away to find his top hat. Thomas and Rosie stared at each other for a few moments, Rosie's face beginning to crumple as she became overwhelmed by the glorious sensation of relief.

"Rosie?" Thomas puffed quietly. "It's all right. You won't be going with them. You're staying here."

Rosie couldn't answer. Instead, she suddenly lunged at Thomas, kissing him with an intense passion that made Thomas blush. She was holding him as close to her as she could, kissing him deeply as her relief overpowered her at last. She would never let Thomas go; she would stay here on Sodor with him forever, and now no one was going to try to take her away from this again.

"… mmm… Rosie… mmph… R-Rosie…" Thomas mumbled, trying to speak to his love as she continued to kiss him passionately. Rosie paid him no mind, continuing to kiss him until she had finished for the moment.

"I love you so much… Rose," Thomas said quietly, going red as he spoke. "Everything's going to be all right now."

"Rose?" Rosie giggled. "You have a pet name for me, Thomas?"

"You do like it, don't you?" Thomas asked quickly. "I can think of another name, or I can just call you –"

"I love it, Thomas," Rosie whispered, kissing him very softly upon his lips. "Now I need to come up with a name for you. But Thomas, why Rose?"

"Well, you're so sweet and pretty – just like a rose. You're never ugly. You're a symbol of true love – you always love me, and always will. You may have your thorns when you're riled, but you're still so beautiful and sweet and caring… I love you, Rosie, my beautiful Rose."

Rosie had flushed as red as a rose, her heart bursting with love for Thomas. "Oh, Thomas… I love you so much. Thank you. You're too kind… you make my dreams come true. Do you know what other name I like to be called?"

"What's that?"

"Your true love, Thomas."

Thomas moved closer, kissing Rosie very gently and making her blush profusely. "My Rose. My true love. I'll never let you go. Just promise me you'll finish your work quickly each day, my love? I can't stand sitting here all day, waiting for you to come home."

"On one condition: you have to kiss me and hold me each and every night, and never let me go."

"I'd do that even if I wasn't stuck in this shed, Rose. I love you."

"Oh, Thomas… kiss me, Thomas… hold me… love me… like I love you…"

Thomas kissed his beautiful Rosie until she was forced to start work, leaving him to collect his thoughts.

* * *

><p>Rosie puffed carefully up to the airfield at Dryaw. A solitary Spitfire aeroplane was waiting for clearance to take off. It had been restored to peak condition, and looked impressive despite its obvious age. For a moment, Rosie simply looked at the aeroplane, remembering when she had seen them in numbers.<p>

"Such brave men…" she sighed to herself. "They gave everything for us… we respect them eternally. Thank you."

"We will remember them," said the General, who had shown up and stood next to Rosie without her noticing. "They gave valiant service. They did more than anyone would have expected of them."

"No, sir," said Rosie softly, "they gave exactly what everyone expected of them. That's what makes them heroes."

Together the veterans watched the Spitfire take off, climbing steadily into the bright blue Sudrian sky.

They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old.

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning,

We will remember them.


End file.
